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The Year Ahead for ... Marketing

Amanda Mackenzie thinks that 2011 will be a year in which we re-evaluate all that we do and become better citizens of 'World plc'.

January 14, 2011

How long?

3-4 minutes

I could write things about marketing that textbooks and clever
professors would only write better so I have decided to take a different
tack. I hope it will be entertaining and informing, but, ultimately, you
will decide.

So as you embark on this year, what's the most you can hope for from it?
Indulge yourself and think about this year, for you. Just think about
where it could take you. Possibilities; things to crack; traits to curb;
what are you going to give, not just get?

This is not meant to be a sermon. It is to suggest standing back,
thinking of some themes and, dare I say it, allowing yourself to think
about the big picture. Yours and society. May I suggest only think about
your customers when you have sorted this out. I don't mean grand plans
or portentous ambition but a notion of where you fit in, rather than a
headlong dive into 2011 with a "let's see what turns up" attitude.

What matters to you will show up in your work and what you bring to your
life, so you might as well be clear about it at the start. Strangely
enough, you will then help those around you and, I would assert, be
better at your job for it. I suspect some career choices might be made
out of it too. To that end, I will talk about some of the themes that
intrigue me but first let's look at the big picture.

The world is a big place. Having a global role, as I have, forces you to
look at issues beyond our cosy shores. That's the world in which our
businesses or causes have to compete. Regardless of the geography of
your role, the start point, for me, has to be the big issues in the
world, then UK-specifics, then your market and, indeed, industry.

- The competitive unstoppable Asia and growth markets, the traditional
West and there is still the Third World where people are dying every
day.

THE BIG UK-SPECIFIC ISSUES

- Can coalition politics survive when cuts really begin and people start
to respond (for example, the recent student protests)?

- Will "nudging" us change the world or will it be seen as Orwellian
manipulation?

- Big Society - what part can companies play? What part can you
play?

- Health.

- Education.

INDUSTRY ISSUES

- Who to trust in a world of over communication? There is so much
communication coming at us all demanding greater degrees of response,
deeper engagement and yet still containing "spin" and hidden agendas. To
whom will customers turn?

- The "no secrets" world - the impact of Wikileaks means that if
something is written down it might be published. The era of "off the
record" is over.

- Participation - making sense of the new world, tuning in to where
people want to be. So the long-anticipated death of broadcast isn't
going to happen and I don't want an interact button on everything I do,
but there is no denying that recognising people's desire to have a view
and be heard and take part will need to be in any brand manager's
toolkit. And the usual issues such as funding, effectiveness, channel
mix.

- Funding models in the digital age.

- Government communication.

- Increased regulation and its effects.

So, in this context, here are some themes that I am intrigued about:

Pay it forward

I love films that have a thought and concept in the title. Like
Groundhog Day or Sliding Doors. Rather like brands should. Pay It
Forward portrays Kevin Spacey as a teacher who sets his class the
challenge to think of an idea that could change the world. One
particularly beautiful pupil thinks of the idea to do a good deed for a
number of people, who then do the same. Before you know it, everyone is
effectively paying forward, not paying back. Changing the world by
changing how people react in it. We could do with a dose of this in
2011.

Doing your bit (beyond paying tax)

Look at events such as Pride of Britain or charities that have been
doing extraordinary things for people for 100 years, such as Barnardo's,
to more recent ones such as Tickets for Troops. If you think of the ease
with which online giving sites have made raising money almost
effortless, more and more people are doing something for Society or
World plc. Taking a responsibility beyond that of one's family seems to
be important.

Women on boards

In February, Lord Davies will make recommendations about how to get more
women on boards in the UK. The appetite for doing something is enormous.
Having a balanced leadership will do what the description suggests;
through better balance, more sustainable businesses emerge. If the board
better represents its customer base in product terms, or communication
or approach to governance or social responsibility, there will probably
be a shift of emphasis. Not before time!

People are still people

I think about the list of macro issues that frame the world into which I
must market Aviva and it's rather daunting. It makes me feel very small.
Consider the impact of Ireland looking to save EUR7 billion next year
with a population of only four million. Consider India with an emerging
middle class that will be 200 million-plus people while, at the same
time, the majority of girls under 14 are having their first child.

The challenges in the world are enormous. However, the one thing that
keeps me relatively sane is that people are still people. The fact that
behavioural economics fascinates us all so is that it does tap into the
core human psychology that hardwires and connects us all.

In this context, I suspect human nature is not much different from
several hundred years ago when my company started insuring people
against highway robbery! So when faced with decisions about digital
this, cloud that, blah blah, trust in your instincts and humanity. I
think Nietzsche said "a confused mind says no". We do risk inertia in
our consumer unless we can helpfully navigate the emerging world.
Applying humanity and common sense will always go a long way.

So here's the frame of mind I hope to show up in as I start 2011. (I
want to really recognise our customers in a market that is not famous
for that. I want to bring out all the amazing work for society that our
people do and show how it makes a brand. I want to be a better citizen
of the world.) The next time I lose my temper, I'd better read this.

Above all, here's to YOU.

Amanda Mackenzie is the chief marketing officer at Aviva and a
non-executive director of Mothercare.

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